A lymphocyte-specific enhancer in the mouse immunoglobulin κ gene (original) (raw)

Nature volume 307, pages 80–82 (1984)Cite this article

Abstract

During differentiation of lymphocytes into antibody-producing cells, an immunoglobulin κ variable-region gene is transcriptionally activated by rearrangement linking it to a κ constant (C κ) region gene which is already transcribed prior to somatic rearrangement1,2. The presence of a transcriptional enhancer element within the large intron of the κ light-chain gene has been postulated to explain this mode of activation, supported by evidence of a chromatin region which is preferentially accessible to DNase I3–5 and restriction enzymes5. This DNA region contains a segment of about 130 base pairs (bp) which is strongly conserved between mouse, rabbit and man6. Moreover, no transcripts are detectable from a κ gene, which is truncated within the large intron7. Recently, a lymphocyte-specific enhancer has been identified downstream of the joining region in immunoglobulin heavy-chain genes8–10. We now show direct evidence for a functionally similar enhancer within the large κ gene intron of the mouse. It is, however, less active than the heavy-chain gene enhancer. In contrast, no enhancer was found to be associated with a cloned _λ_I light-chain gene.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Subscribe to this journal

Receive 51 print issues and online access

$199.00 per year

only $3.90 per issue

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Additional access options:

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Mather, E. L. & Perry, R. P. Nucleic Acids Res. 9, 6855–6867 (1981).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  2. Van Ness, B. G. et al. Cell 27, 593–602 (1981).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  3. Parslow, T. G. & Granner, D. K. Nature 299, 449–451 (1982).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  4. Chung, S.-Y., Folsom, V. & Wooley, J. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 80, 2427–2431 (1983).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  5. Parslow, T. G. & Granner, D. K. Nucleic Acids Res. 11, 4775–4792 (1983).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  6. Emorine, L., Kuehl, M., Weir, L., Leder, P. & Max, E. E. Nature 304, 447–449 (1983).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  7. Queen, C. & Baltimore, D. Cell 33, 741–748 (1983).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  8. Banerji, J., Olson, L. & Schaffner, W. Cell 33, 729–740 (1983).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  9. Gillies, S. D., Morrison, S. L., Oi, V. T. & Tonegawa, S. Cell 33, 717–728 (1983).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  10. Neuberger, M. S. EMBO J. 2, 1373–1378 (1983).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  11. Seidman, J. G. & Leder, P. Nature 276, 790–795 (1978).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  12. Brack, C. & Tonegawa, S. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74, 5652–5656 (1977).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  13. Bernard, O., Hozumi, N. & Tonegawa, S. Cell 15, 1133–1144 (1978).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  14. Picard, D. & Schaffner, W. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 80, 417–421 (1983).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  15. Herbomel, P., Saragosti, S., Blangy, D. & Yaniv, M. Cell 25, 651–658 (1981).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  16. Cremisi, C. Nucleic Acids Res. 9, 5949–5964 (1981).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  17. de Villiers, J. & Schaffner, W. Nucleic Acids Res. 9, 6251–6264 (1981).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  18. Banerji, J., Rusconi, S. & Schaffner, W. Cell 27, 299–308 (1981).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  19. Moreau, P. et al. Nucleic Acids Res. 9, 6047–6068 (1981).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  20. Schibler, U., Marcu, K. B. & Perry, R. P. Cell 15, 1495–1509 (1978).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  21. Bogenhagen, D. F., Wormington, W. M. & Brown, D. D. Cell 28, 413–421 (1982).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  22. Davison, B. L., Egly, J.-M., Mulvihill, E. R. & Chambon, P. Nature 301, 680–686 (1983).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  23. Green, M. R., Treisman, R. & Maniatis, T. Cell 35, 137–148 (1983).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  24. Tonegawa, S. Nature 302, 575–581 (1983).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  25. Max, E. E., Maizel, J. V. Jr & Leder, P. J. biol. Chem. 256, 5116–5120 (1981).
    CAS Google Scholar
  26. Maniatis, T. et al. Cell 15, 687–701 (1978).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  27. Vieira, J. & Messing, J. Gene 19, 259–268 (1982).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  28. Weaver, R. F. & Weissmann, C. Nucleic Acids Res. 7, 1175–1193 (1979).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  29. Weber, H. et al. ICN–UCLA Symp. molec. cell. Biol. 33, 367–385 (1981).
    Google Scholar
  30. Rusconi, S. & Schaffner, W. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 78, 5051–5055 (1981).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Molekularbiologie II der Universität Zürich, Hönggerberg, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
    Didier Picard & Walter Schaffner

Authors

  1. Didier Picard
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar
  2. Walter Schaffner
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Picard, D., Schaffner, W. A lymphocyte-specific enhancer in the mouse immunoglobulin κ gene.Nature 307, 80–82 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1038/307080a0

Download citation

This article is cited by